Mandatory-payout Single Six starts with $343K

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – When the pick six isn’t hit on Derby Day, the Thursday after the Kentucky Derby gives non-tourist types a chance to fight for the leftovers.

This year, under new rules requested in March by Churchill Downs and approved by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission, the Thursday after Derby assumes a slightly different look.

Instead of the standard $2 wager with the possibility of more carryovers beyond Thursday, the pick six has morphed into the Single Six, a wager with a 20-cent increment and this unique provision: half of the $668,309 jackpot from Derby Day is up for grabs Thursday, and the other half seeds a new Single Six on Friday.

About $343,154 is being used in a mandatory-payout Single Six when racing resumes Thursday at 5 p.m. Eastern with an eight-race card (races 3-8). Post time for the leadoff race in the Single Six is 6:01.

Another $343,154 is being used to seed a new Single Six on Friday (first post, 12:45 Eastern).

The Single Six is conducted in much the same way that Gulfstream Park runs its highly popular 20-cent Rainbow 6. After a 15 percent takeout, Churchill will make an immediate payout of 90 percent of that day’s pool to bettors while retaining just 10 percent for a building jackpot (the Gulfstream split is 70/30). Except when there is a mandatory payout, the jackpot can only be swept when there is a solo perfect ticket.

Daily Racing Form past performances for Churchill were not available in Thursday's print edition because Churchill drew the Thursday card on Tuesday and DRF prints the Thursday paper on Mondays. Past performances are available online at DRF.com.

Nyquist, who captured the Derby at 2-1, was the only winning favorite Saturday in the $2 pick six. Winning odds in the sequence (races 7-12) were 14-1, 3-1, 18-1, 13-1, 6-1, and 2-1. Handle was $1,145,964, and tickets with 5 of 6 were worth $9,038 each.

Through the end of the spring meet, July 2, every Thursday at Churchill will have an eight-race card which starts at 5 p.m. and ends at 8:39. First post Fridays through Sundays is 12:45 daily except for night cards on June 18 and July 2. There also will be racing here Memorial Day, May 30, with a 12:45 first post.

Here is a quick rundown of the Single Six races for this Thursday:

Race 3 (6:01): A $5,000 claiming route with a full field starts things off, and if you can whittle it down to fewer than six contenders, you’re a pretty sharp whittler. Ellio, with four wins over the Churchill dirt, is one of those logical players under Miguel Mena, who is returning Thursday from a seven-week layoff following a wrist fracture.

Race 4 (6:33): Explosive Vacation was a narrowly beaten second at 2-1 for this same maiden-$50,000 condition in his last start, which came around two turns at Keeneland, so she’s likely to be favored over Buzzer Beater and the stretching-out Dixie Jewel.

Race 5 (7:05): Halo Not Included ran well when favored in his Oaklawn Park debut last month for the Midwest Thoroughbreds powerhouse, and there’s no reason to think he won’t be a single on quite a few tickets with Corey Lanerie picking up the mount here for trainer Chris Richard.

Race 6 (7:37): Keith Bourgeois, in his first tour of regular duty in Kentucky after being a force in Louisiana for years, finds the right kind of spot for Sail Maker, who drops for a life-low claiming tag. Austin’s Argument, Quieter America, and Buck Magic are his chief threats.

Race 7 (8:09): One of two allowances on an abbreviated card, this first-level filly-mare race will have Conquest Curlgirl as a probable favorite for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Julien Leparoux. She'll be followed closely on the tote for this seven-furlong race by True Egyptian, Scat Means Go, and Mercer Mill Mae.

Race 8 (8:39): Supplement drops substantially in class and shortens from 1 1/16 miles back to six furlongs for Lanerie and trainer Eddie Kenneally. She was eased in the stretch of a $30,000 maiden-claiming race at Keeneland last out. Mzapropriatedfunds could vie for favoritism for trainer Chris Hartman, with Miss Hur and Patsy Em also likely to draw play.